DGFI Became the Primary Controller from 2007-09, Says Ex-Army Chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan

According to his testimony, Sheikh Hasina believed a corrupted military would pose less of a threat to her regime.

The former military head also criticized the integration of the army with civilian police in the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), calling it a "catastrophic and dangerous" decision. He further noted that anti-India and anti-Awami League sentiments intensified within RAB following the BDR mutiny.

Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan appeared as the first witness in the trial against former military officer Ziaul Ahsan, who faces charges related to over a hundred cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. His testimony began on Sunday afternoon and is scheduled to continue on Monday, February 9.

On the other hand, defense lawyer Nazneen Nahar condemned the statements, accusing the former Army Chief of slandering the military's reputation. She remarked that such comments were unexpected from a person of his stature.